Please Help re Canada 3000 Airline

[chelsea girl]

Please can anyone help me?

I am trying to book a trip to Florida from London England with a 4 night stop in Toronto. I have booked Virgin Atlantic from London to Toronto and home from Orlando to London, however, it is the one way from Toronto to Orlando that is giving me problems. I have checked a lot of different airlines who are all much the same price but have found one with Canada 3000 for about half the price of the others (a saving of approx GBP300 for 2 people). I have looked at their website and all seems to be O.K. but Virgin say they have not heard of them. Is this just to make me buy a higher priced ticket through them?

Any help you may be able to give me would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Debbie

 

[maryann4086]

Canada 3000 is a real airline. It is sort of an economy flight, seats are not huge. But it will definitely get you from TO to Orlando with no problem. Go ahead and book, you will be fine.

 

[SandraC]

We've taken Canada3000 and Air Transat from Toronto to Orlando. Both are charters and both about the same to me. Both their prices are pretty good and about the same.

www.airtransat.com

www.canada3000.com

Good sources of info for flight times and prices in Canadian dollars.

Both have small seats, but the flight is only about two and a quarter hours. With Air Transat we pre-booked our seats and booked the bulk head from TONS more legs room. That cost $10.00 per seat per flight ($60.00 extra for the three of us PLUS a lap baby ~ the bulk head gave us the opportunity to attach a baby bassinette for ds to play in, just like his own little area , or seat, without paying for it ~ so the extra $60.00 was a bargin.)

Good Luck!

 

[CindyAnn]

Welcome to the DIS, Chelsea Girl. Canada 3000 is one of the major charter airlines that runs frequent flights from Toronto to Orlando (and other destinations). The other two charter companies that pop into my head are Air Transat and Royal Airlines. We flew Canada 3000 to Orlando last November and had no problems whatsoever. As Sandra and Maryann say, it's definitely somewhat cramped, but it is a fairly short flight - just don't expect it to be as comfortable as Virgin. The only drawback to me was that on other airlines (which I think leave from a different terminal at Toronto airport) we've always cleared American Customs & Immigration here in Toronto, but when flying Canada 3000 we had to go through customs in Orlando, which added almost an hour to our time spent in the Orlando airport. However, to save that kind of money, it seems like a fairly minor inconvenience.

We're glad you found the DIS, Debbie. Need any help with planning your time in Toronto? I'm guessing that you're probably here to visit family in any case, but ask away if you have any questions!

 

[chelsea girl]

Thank you all so much - you have really put my mind at rest. I think a lack of space for a couple of hours is well worth the saving, I will get on and book it.

The trip to Toronto is not to visit family - it is a flying visit to see both Toronto and Niagra so any assistance on that score would also be appreciated.

The main thing I need to know is how easy is it to get from the Airport to downtown Toronto, we are booking the Courtyard by Mariott near the Eaton Centre.

Thanks again

Debbie

 

[CindyAnn]

Chelsea Girl - Here's a link to another thread where a visitor from the UK was coming to Toronto and staying at the Mariott near the Eaton's Centre. I had asked the hotel about getting there from the airport and it seemed to me that an airport limo was the easiest approach.

No family to visit? Are there only adults in your party? Are you thinking of renting a car? How about spending your time:

- a day at Niagara Falls
- a day in Niagara-on-the-Lake (maybe?) - this is a vineyard area close to Niagara Falls, but would only be feasible if you rented a car
- a day at the Zoo or Science Centre
- a day touring downtown Toronto

I've purposely avoided our Royal Ontario Museum (interesting, but London has better ones) and Canada's Wonderland (fun for the day, but Disney is MUCH better). We'd also love to give you dining suggestions, if you're interested.

Sorry - in a rush - more later - the children are clamouring for the computer!

 

[chelsea girl]

Thanks again CindyAnn - you have been so much help

It will be just myself and a friend both early forties. We arrive on Sept 23rd for 4 nights leaving Sept 27th.

Do you think we should hire a car, or is it easy to get around on public transport?

We thought we may be able to pick up an organised trip to Niagra Falls for one day and my friend had heard there was a bus tour of the city that you can hop on or off, but this may not be right.

We both really LOVE to shop and also the dining suggestions would be most welcome.

Do you know if there are any plus size clothes shops we may find. We know of Lane Bryant and The Avenue in the U.S but not sure if they extend to Canada. (the choice in England is very poor)

I am very grateful for all your advice - you guys on here are just as loveable as the U.K. DIS.

All the best - Debbie

 

[CindyAnn]

Well Debbie - You just said a bunch of things I understand intimately - shopping, early 40's, plus size clothing & SHOPPING!

I haven't seen the two American stores you mentioned in Canada. However, at the Eaton Centre, right by your hotel, there's Cotton Ginny Plus and Addition-elle. Elsewhere you may find Laura II, Toni+ or Pennington's - all chains but I think there are only a very few Toni+ stores. You'll be very close to good shopping at the Eaton Centre, and can take a quick subway ride up to the Yorkville area of the city where there are lots of upscale boutiques.

I think the idea of taking a bus tour to Niagara Falls is probably the easiest one. Since you're right on the Subway line, transportation within the city is generally simple, but it does depend on where you want to go. The zoo, for example, and science centre would both involve a subway ride (two for the zoo) and then changing to a bus.

Here's a website that talks about both the "hop on hop off" buses and a tour to Niagara Falls.

Renting a car is always an option, but I would think that driving in a city on the wrong side of the road would be a bit daunting - personal opinion only. My DH is comfortable doing this in the UK, but I aspire to nothing more than "intrepid navigator" in that situation. Depending on what you want to do, it's possible that the rental car would spend most of its time in the hotel parking lot in any case.

Once you and your friend decide what areas of the city you'll be visiting, we can try to recommend restaurants in the area.

I guess I just assumed that you were visiting family in Toronto since DH's family is so well supplied with relatives from the U.K. and Europe - 2 from Glasgow arriving the day after tomorrow and a bunch more arriving for a September wedding. Sorry for the mistake!

Cheers,

 

[eleanor]

Hi Canada 3000 flies to the UK and to Germany ,I know because my family has flown bboth places . They are a good airline. We always try to get flights to Orlando with them.

 

[cotye]

INHO though Canada 3000 is not that great. Service is horrible and they hardly accommodated my simple requests. Personally I have boycotted this airline and I would rather pay more to fly AC or Air Transat. Certainly hope your experience is much better than mine.